By Reader Matt M.
Sixty shots rang out over and over in my mind as I made the drive back from MAG 40. It had been a hard week, but a good one, learning and shooting alongside two dozen good guys and gals who take self defense very seriously. My palm was raw that morning from the Gen4 G19 I switched from the day before, but I couldn’t feel it. I was sore all over, but I couldn’t feel that either. I had just qualified fifth in the class with a New York trigger in my GLOCK. Fifth behind 1911s, GLOCKs with RMR sights, a custom Beretta, and a long-slide M&P. Life was good.
But those 60 shots kept ringing out, mile after mile, hour after hour. I came “this close” to getting that bill signed by Mas Ayoob. While shooting a New York GLOCK.
Here’s a pro-tip in mediocrity, kids: When you lose, you lose. Don’t go away mad, just go away. It’s your fault for not training harder, so suck it up, trade in a gun for a case of ammo, and get to work. Unless your barrel crown has been through a blender or the gun just won’t work, trust me…it ain’t the hardware.
Sixty shots. Six pissant little fliers.
Why? Why did I have that New York Trigger? I was shooting hot 9mm! Why didn’t I punch larger holes? Could I have balanced my regard for human life and fear of liability in any other way? Definitely the gun’s fault. Absolutely.
I don’t have a .45. Winter is just around the corner. Sounds like a Permit to Purchase to me.
The Gun: Its Origins
My budget was tight. I had already sold off a number of my bedside companions to pay for the Ayoob course — worth every painful penny — and another would have to bite the dust if I was going to scrape together $400 for a .45. Not much to work with, but I had a lead.
Someone told me about Turkish gunmaker, Sarsilmaz. Yeah, everyone knows that Turkey makes great stand-ins until you can buy a “real gun,” but this brand was different. Turkey’s largest small arms manufacturer, Sarsilmaz is the nation’s only private operation licensed to equip the Turkish military, NATO’s sixth largest. I started looking for their pistols around town, imported by European American Armory (EAA) under the “SAR ARMS” label, and was surprised to find beautiful machining, attention to detail, and apparent quality.
I still wasn’t sure, though. The blogs were quiet, reviews were mostly positive, and forum “horror stories” seemed more like grumbles. My range manager and FFL, a detached man of few words, surprised me with a positive opinion. So when I saw that CDNN had SAR Arms K2 45s for $379 out the door, I held my breath, sent in my money, and took a chance.
The Gun Itself
When I opened the box, I couldn’t keep myself from smiling. I wasn’t happy receiving only one measly Mec-Gar mag, but the gun was solid steel, smooth, tight, and drop-dead gorgeous. She was a CZ without the communist heritage, blending the powerful lines of a SIG P227 with some of the elegance of a 1911. The controls were proportionate, the grips ready for action, and the beavertail — high and wide with all the right curves — was everything a beavertail should be. She fit my hand well and shot perfectly. True love. Case closed.
But then Tam got involved, a good friend and .45 afficionado who doesn’t suffer fools lightly. After one week with your $300 import, you’ve found the perfect gun? Right. But Tam’s a lover, not a hater: Trust but verify.
Since the SAR K2 is clearly a high-capacity duty-gun, Tam broke out a SIG Sauer 1911 Scorpion and CZ 97B. The Turk didn’t have to beat a Wilson, but could it compete with guns two- to three-times its price? It didn’t have to be light or small, but could Leviathan be as user-friendly as these all-steel classics?
The Sarsilmaz K2 is clearly a full-size big boy for large mitts. The 1911 has a magic ability to fit all hands. Too small? Fatten the grips. Too long? Get a shorter trigger. Point high? Swap the mainspring housing. Most pistols have adjustable backstraps these days, and even the mongo CZ offers a choice between wood, rubber, and aluminum. Not so with the Sarsilmaz: She’s big to begin with and what you see is what you get.
No aftermarket options.
The gun’s grips, while porky, have a fairly organic contour. Given a nice short SA pull, the K2 is equally at home in medium and larger hands, but the long double-action pull is less forgiving. While the grip is clearly a fat double stack, the width was well sculpted, promising to spread recoil across your whole hand. Note well the 1911’s narrow spine and the needlessly sharp ledge on our CZ 97’s aluminum panels when viewed from behind.
While we’re here, take a look at those sights. The internet has two main complaints on K2s: They only come with one mag (grrr…) and the adjustable sights need adjusting from the factory. Huh?
Mine were dead-on and solid. The three-dot setup is well-executed in photo-luminescent paint, the front dot a hair larger than the rest. In daylight, they beat the SIG and were less stressful than the CZ’s tiny tower. Unfortunately, they’re all you get. No tritium, fiber optics, ghost-rings, big dots, trapezoids, or 30x scopes without some creative gunsmithing. I’ve tried almost everything and am very partial to Ameriglo CAPs.
No. Aftermarket. Options.
Cracking the carapace reveals some good and some bad. The machining is A+, much better finished than the CZ and a pleasure to behold. Unfortunately, the gun wasn’t as tight as I first imagined. You know what a good 1911 feels like and the CZ felt like a solid piece of steel. The K2 was merely in the duty pistol camp.
Tam stared at me while moving the slide from side to side. I squinted back, picked up his SIG, and did the same. We’d have to settle this score by shooting them.
Before heading to the range, we broke everything down for lubrication. Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but nothing left to take away. Unlike the 1911, the SAR has no bushings, caps, or links to break. Unlike the CZ’s, the Sarsilmaz guide rods are full-length and not made of plastic. Takedown was a literal pinch: Drop the mag, grab the slide with your thumb in the trigger guard or beavertail, align the dots, and pop the pin. Keep it simple, stupid.
The Gun In Action
So, we were off to the range with a gastronomically tortuous buffet of bullets. Our range day was full of pleasant surprises, at least for me.
Unlike some fancier guns, my Turk worked like a champ. There was a little side-play in the trigger that was noticeable during double action, but the single-action pull measured a crisp 4 pounds … NRA-spec for 1911. Unlike the CZ, the slide stop was long, generous, and accessible. Unlike the CZ, the safety was heavy and crisp, appropriate for condition-one carry a la Hi-Power. Unlike the CZ, the hammer had just enough texture on its wide face to keep our thumbs happy. Looks like CZ needs to step up their game.
Accuracy-wise, she did just fine: nothing good or bad to report. The 1911 semi-auto pistol was a pleasure as always, cutting ragged holes at reasonable distances. Far better was the CZ 97 which displayed a sort of magical accuracy. The K2 was less impressive, but still shot plenty fine. Here are some of my first shots on a lovely spring day; let’s pretend my little cousin shot the hardball on top.
Ah, but the CZ was really something. This is the best the 97B could give us this July … in my hands … after half an hour in a humid 96-degree indoor range with lousy ventilation.
Sorry Chaplain T: I didn’t ditch my .45 for a .46; those gorgeous holes are from the stubby semi-wadcutters on the left. Wadcutters so short the CZ choked every other shot. Wadcutters the 1911 ate with pleasure. Wadcutters my Sarsilmaz cycled only seven times out of 10 before being broken in. See those big holes on the right? More semiwadcutters, a bit taller. Yeah, CZ still had indigestion about 30% of the time. The K2 ran better than nine in 10. Sorry for my poor accuracy with the hardball, but take it easy on my little cousin.
What stunned all of us, however, was the recoil of this gentle giant. Remember my older friend? When I invited him to try out some low-recoiling handguns and included the .45 as a cruel joke, he preferred it to a CZ 75 (9mm), an all-metal USP clone (9mm), and — by far — a 23-ounce Beretta (.380). I believe the quote was “I’d take this over your nines any day”. He shot OK with it too…
So, how did the Sultan of Soothe not hammer like a 1911 or seek the ceiling like its Czech comrade? Four ways. First, at 51.25 ounces loaded, the Sarsilmaz is an anchor … but not much heavier than the competition. Second, the grip is wide and seamless, distributing recoil evenly over 1.5 inches. Third, a slide riding within rails sacrifices minimum width for minimum height, allowing the bore to sit lower in the hand. Fourth, the slide is low and squat, .15 inches shorter than the CZ’s kicker but nearly 3 ounces lighter: Yes, “bore-axis” matters!
Putting it all together, the K2 was a sweet-shooting gun all of us could run fast and effectively. It’s taken some time, but now that we’re aquainted, we’re on cloud nine. She’s my perfect size and a natural pointer (between a CZ and a GLOCK). The two of us enjoy ripping cloverleafs and vertical lines together on the weekend. Tam begrudgingly permitted me to like the piece. My arthritic friend is now thinking about getting back into .45. Life is good.
The Gun Reconsidered
All in all, the K2 handled like a champ. She is a champ. My champ. I’m very unhappy that .45 auto is this much fun given its cost.
There are problems. Bertha’s on the big side. The omnivore lost its appetite for square fare in weaker hands. Little people struggled with the long length of pull. And, good grief, if you want to customize this piece, there are NO AFTERMARKET OPTIONS.
Yeah, whatever.
The K2 is hardware made for big guys facing extremes. She’ll see the professional engravers at first precinct if she ever serves her intended purpose, defending innocent life. She feeds anything remotely resembling a ball, with or without a hollowpoint, 100% of the time. She easily hits a minute of bad guy at bad breath distances as fast as your booger hooker can yank the bang-switch.
Yeah, fancy sights and G10 grips would be nice, but the sights and grips are pretty good as she stands. Can’t find a holster? Where, at the drugstore? Masc produces some fine Turkish gunleather made to fit that’s comparable to Galco in quality.
Oh, but what if it breaks? How ever shall we maintain our guns? Look, parts don’t break that often, especially the way 95% of us shoot, and EAA is just a phone call away. And heaven forbid you put some bread on a local gunsmith’s table. Besides, a complete Sarsilmaz parts kit can be had for $389 and comes with a free magazine.
The End of the Matter
If you like .45s, you need to look at this SAR K2 45. If you own a range, this had better be a rental option. If you have large hands, just do yourself a kindness and buy one; while you’re calling in the order, add a few mags.
Maybe this is all too good to be true. I only have 500 rounds down range so far, but this puppy smacks of quality. I’ll do my best to get back to you once she’s seen more hard use.
Specifications – SarArms (EAA) K2 45
Caliber: .45 Auto, .45 ACP, .45 Auto Colt Pistol
Action: Semi-automatic
Capacity: 14+1
Materials: Epoxy-coated forged steel frame
Weight Unloaded: 40 ounces
Weight Loaded: 51.25 ounces (230-grain ball)
Barrel Length: 4.7 inches
Overall Length: 8.3 inches
Overall Height: 5.8 inches
Width: 1.48 inches (controls), 1.12 inches (frame)
Slide: .79 inches high, 11.25 ounces
Sights: Photo-luminescent adjustable three dot (removeable dovetailed front sight, adjustable rear sight)
Sight Radius: 6.3 inches
Grips: Stippled plastic
Pull Weight: 4 pounds (SA)
Action: D/SA
Price: $389+$25/Mag
Ratings (out of five stars):
Aesthetics: * * * * *
The best of a CZ, SIG, and a 1911 all blended together. Look at that fabulous trigger guard! Look at that snout! Oh, that beautiful beavertail! Home defense? Truck gun? You can always guild the lily, but she looks mighty fine for less than $400 bucks.
Accuracy: * * * *
She shot better than we could. She’s not a target 1911. She also won’t jam like one.
Ergonomics-Handling: * * * * *
A big guy in a world of small guns, the K2 was a revelation. Finally, I have a great gun that points naturally that isn’t plastic. The grips are amazing. Not for those with small hands.
Ergonomics-Firing: * * * * *
The recoil control on this gun is fabulous. Knock stars off if you’re concerned about making an expensive round too comfortable to shoot.
Reliability: * * * * *
Besides a few partial feeds with bullet profiles it wasn’t made for, I had one failure to feed with a semi-wadcutter on the last round of a magazine that was gummed up with burnt bullet lube. Chillax. No problems with anything remotely resembling a ball.
Customization: * * *
You can hang your heart’s desire off the rail, buy wood grips on Amazon, and pick up some fabulous gunleather online, but that’s about it. Unlike SAR’s ST10, quality mags are reasonably priced and easy to find online while the design is close enough to a CZ that some parts have to carry over. Given the factory setup, customization is overrated.
Overall: * * * *
I speak for the large- and strong-handed out there: You’ll save on shipping if you buy two.
More from The Truth About Guns
On The Range With Ruger’s Ruger American Pistol in .45 ACP
I often wish these below the radar guns would get more coverage.
Still think I’d rather get an old Ruger KP90 though. 😉
Some of the pistols that fly low do get spotted. Canik TP9- price has increased about $50 in the past few months.
Hey Hop! You should review one of these for TFB. They look pretty nice.
Are the sar usa k2 45’s grips and the sar usa k2 45 compact the same ? Can i buy k2 45 grips and will they fit on a k2 45 compact ? If not where can i purchase grips for the compact model ?
Very good review, I would give this some serious consideration after reading it. Turkish firearms have come a long way recently, this Sar being a good example, along with some fine shotguns under the Weatherby and Winchester brands. On a side note, this Sar seems to have a much nicer finish than the recently reviewed Remington R9
That’s a good review and an interesting gun. I have ask though why everyone seems to think .45 has so much recoil? Am I just retard strong or something? Because I shoot .45 one handed all day and it feels basically the same as 9mm or .40.
It’s apparently subjective. I’m one of the people who finds 45 ACP unpleasant to shoot even compared to more powerful handgun cartridges up to 44 magnum.
very subjective. I did not like firing my dads colt 1911 (70s vintage) but I do like my Ruger P345. Something in the recoil impulse that feels more shoving vs more snapping in the 1911.
Some sort of voodoo involving grip angle, shape, springs and personal ergonomics like hand size.
Always try before you buy and as always, your mileage may vary.
My P345 is my only .45 Auto, and I think it shoots great. Not as easygoing as a steel 1911, but still no big deal.
I had the same experience with my P944. Turns out full-size guns are pretty easy to shoot, regardless of caliber. Who knew? 🙂
A friend of mine has an XDS in .45 and a Shield in .40. I’ll have to give those a try and see how heavy and snappy they are, respectively.
I don’t understand it either. Out of a full-size 1911, .45 is downright pleasant to shoot. Just a push of recoil, no snap, back on target quickly, and a heavier bullet than anything else suitable for daily carry in the lower 48.
This exactly describes my first experience shooting a full size Kimber range gun. I liked it so much I bought one, and I’d buy anther .45 in a heartbeat, finances permitting. A 4″ is harder to handle and not as sweet, but there’s just something about .45….I bought some Lehigh Defense Extreme Penetrators in 9 mm (that aren’t rated as +P but shoot like they are) that have more recoil.
I have no idea why. There’s practically a mythology of how much the 1911/.45 ACP recoils.
To me, the most annoying recoiling handguns are any model of Glock in .40 S&W, followed by any other handgun in .40 S&W.
Maybe it’s because the 1911 was the first pistol I learned to shoot after .22LR pistols & revolvers. Maybe it’s because I got to shoot a 1911 before I shot a target revolver with light .38 Special loads. Who knows? Maybe it’s mostly perception on my part.
I remember my father telling me that when he was in the service in 1946 (post-war), they were given .45 Colt 1911s. He claimed he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with one because of the recoil, and that others had the same issue. I should add that he was 6′ and about 220 at the time, raised in backwoods Pennsylvania where he played high school football. Scrappy kid. While it is almost certain that they were taught to shoot one handed, and based upon my own experience, either they were shooting worn out pistols or he was exaggerating mightily. In fact, my size zero daughter prefers her FNX in .45 to her 9 mm subcompact, and is more accurate with it.
I’ve been on a .45 kick the last few years. I got a R1 Commander, a Glock 30s, a Baby Desert Eagle .45, a Beretta PX4 .45 and a FNX-45.
I’ve been shooting them all and loving them all- the Glock 30S, certainly the smallest, I might shoot the best.
I should sell/trade the one I don’t like- but while I will shoot one better than the other on certain days, I just can’t make a decision.
I just love the way a .45 feels. its got UMPH, but is not as sharp as my .40’s and frankly 9mm’s bore me- although I can shoot them very well.
I need more ammo, need more data for my study!
Great review, well-written, outstanding photos.
Aaalllllmost made me want one.
Almost.
I’ll wait a bit and see how it holds-up longer-term.
But again, I enjoyed the write-up.
Thanks man!
I don’t think I offered a long-term concern: You’ll notice the hole where the slide stop penetrates the frame to engage the mag/slide is square. The sharp edge of this cut is where the original 10mm 1911 frames cracked.
If the Turk tears, my bet is that it’ll be a hairline fracture right there. Somehow, I think she’ll go on shooting just fine.
Excellent review. Interesting pistol.
Dittos on the well-written. You have ‘the knack’ for it. Seriously consider doing it professionally, even if it’s moonlighting.
The gun: What’s this “Epoxy-coated” thing? Super heavy duty paint?
Thanks for the kudos all- its a pleasure to write, especially about a gun like this. I haven’t been this pleased since I discovered G4 GLOCKs.
The coating feels identical to the black stuff on CZ 75s. Anyone’s guess how it compares, but its old tech.
I personally own a SAR K2, fun to shoot and shoots all kinds of ammo, good defensive ammo and cheap plinking/practice ammo. Worth more than the price paid, which is unusual nowadays. Big and bulky, but the recoil is tamed by the weight of the pistol. Good night stand or car gun. Thanks for the review.
Really enjoyed this review, well done. I have a full-sized Sig P250 in .45, i love the gun and it runs flawlessly, but if I do have an issue with it, it’s the looooong trigger pull. It’s fine once you get going and start ripping away, but that first pull always feels loooong to me. So my point is, how might that SAR compare, tripper pull-wise?
My problem with the Sig 250 is the needlessly long but light pull. The DA on a Beretta or a Revolver is smooth, deliberate, and you get a baby out of it: you feel in tune with the gun as it works by your hand and it ends in a clean break. The Sig DAO Tupperware just feels needlessly long.
The SAR K2 45 has a comparable first trigger pull, assuming you manually lower the hammer. That said, it doesn’t feel that bad to me: you’re clearly doing something to make the gun work while setting yourself up for a beautiful string of SA shots. I also think the SAR breaks sooner, although this could just be the way my hand mates to the Sig.
My only complaint is the little bit of side-play in the trigger. Even then, my model wasn’t too far from the play in a factory-fabulous Beretta 92.
Thanks for the response, I may need to pick me one up.
To be fair to Sig, I’m not sure what I don’t like about their trigger.
There’s something about poly DAO triggers such as the P250 or LCP, the old LC9, Kel Tecs, and maybe even the Kahrs that I just can’t stand. the DAO seems ponderously long compared to a revolver but all I’m moving is a tiny spec of a hammer. The Kahr captures some of that revolver smoothness, but the rest just feel… loose?
If you want to get a feel for the trigger, go find a Tanfoglio Witness, EAA/SAR K2, or Jericho pistol for a ballpark estimate.
A nicely written review. I like that your targets specify where you were holding (ie, how the sights were adjusted).
The solution to the cost of .45 ACP ammo is to reload. Due to the low pressure of the .45 ACP loads, .45 ACP cases last practically forever.
As for the lack of aftermarket options: Jeez, man, quit complaining about your first-world problems. Before the 1960’s, there were damn few aftermarket options for most guns in the US. There were no fancy glow-in-the-dark sights. You got whatever irons were on the pistol, and you liked it. 1911’s started with staked-on sights, and the complaint was that every now and again, the front blade would depart for orbit. So gunsmiths started dovetailing in the front sight. Now, American gun owners want all manner of doo-dads, they want them cheap, they want to be able to install all these doo-dads themselves, and they think that every gun should be made like this. You’re spoiled – and unrealistic. No one is going to tool up to make aftermarket parts for a gun that sells so few pieces per year in the US market.
If the slide is made out of steel, then quit complaining and take it to a gunsmith to fit sights or parts that you want. This is the advantage of guns that are made from steel: you can do something about issues you don’t like. The 1911 wasn’t shipped into a market with the plethora of aftermarket options it now has. That aftermarket developed over the last 100 years (and especially over the last 50), because the 1911 was so popular, and enough gunsmiths started getting multiple requests for the same change over and over, so they started businesses to make aftermarket parts (eg, Ed Brown).
Preach it Brother!
The SAR just doesn’t need disposable aftermarket parts, and the stuff Jean Doe wants can likely be easily improvised. If she works as well as I anticipate, she might just spend some quality time with a gunsmith to “make it official”.
That said, FOR THE RECORD, the nattering neigh-bobs of negativism did have my clear admission of the obvious: no aftermarket parts. Pity that Sarsilmaz didn’t at least use a standard dovetail: low-hanging fruit, no?
when I looked at first the pic on my tiny mobile phone screen I was uspecting that it was an interbreed between a Tanfoglio and a Jericho.
I’ve been seriously considering buying the 9mm version of this…I might have to sell some things and get it. The 9mm version is less than 300 right now so it’s not much money.
Give the EAA Tanfoglio Witness Polymer a look too. I think the SAR 9 polymer may be jut a bit nicer, but I can confirm the witness can use standard CZ magazines and the 22 kit works really well. Stay away from the SAR 9 steel frame, the safety is backwards compared to all other CZ clones.
!Binder ,that mention should you Funny
…list review my on next what’s guess never You’ll
Also, I’ve heard at least one really, really positive review of the Polymer B6 from an animal control officer and handgun trainer. He and his students ran it so hard that the front rail insert eventually cracked; Sarsilmaz transplanted his now silky-smooth action into a brand new gun in record time, and he has nothing but good things to say. I’m getting pickier on my poly guns each year, but it seems like an amazing value if you can get past the garish lettering.
The 9mm version from EAA is an Italian Tangfolio.
Great review! I’ve been eyeing this pistol and the 9mm on CDNN. Awesome to hear first hand experience with it.
{The really good Turkish firearms mfgs make some excellent, durable firearms for the price (such as CZ shotguns and Weatherby shotguns)}.
I’ve been wanting a 97 B for some time but the K2 45 was always there, whispering in my ear. The one thing missing to make my decision was an accuracy comparison. I took delivery of my 97 a little over a week ago, so this review is only slightly too late to help me choose. It is however, right on time to confirm it. Admittedly I’m a CZ guy so the extra cash was worth it to me for the increased accuracy as well as added potential. Also, the complaint with the SAR rear sight isn’t that it has to be adjusted, it’s that for some it has to be adjusted all the way to one side. The machining on this gun may be nice, but a fully drifted rear sight doesn’t scream quality to me. Lastly, CZUB and the Czech Republic do not have a “communist heritage”. Interesting to throw that in without mention of the Turkish government’s current direction. Great review though, and great gun for the money.
I absolutely love my .45 K2. My only complaint is that it isn’t a decocker. Sure, one CAN ease the hammer down and be ready with the double-action first shot, but that’s just begging for a negligent discharge eventually.
I have one as well, great gun for the money and with a decocker it would be even better.
SAR K245 does have a decocker. You have to, 1st flip on the safety, pull the trigger with the safety on.
Then flip off the safety to decock it.
Really enjoyed the review. Well written, very informative. I bought 2 Caniks just to see how well made they were and how they would hold up. I was greatly impressed with them. Couldn’t make them choke even when dirty. Turkey actually seems to have seem decent gun makers.
The price is right but I had a EAA 45 about 20 years ago and it was an absolute POS. Some scars never heal.
Considering that EAA is not producing, only importing their guns, there is a good chance your .45 wasn’t even made in the same country as the SAR.
Yeah but 20 years ago I ate in a McDonald’s while travelling out of state, and they forgot to put mayo on the burger.
Needless to say I don’t eat at the D’s anymore.
Thanks for the review. I’ve had a K2 45 for a couple of years and many thousand rounds. The only issue I have had is that the mag springs get kinda mushy pretty quickly – not uncommon for double stack 45s – which can cause some feeding issues. Fortunately, Wolff springs for the Para-14 work fine and bring it back to life.
It WAS going to come out in 10mm Auto. This would have been the perfect “stablemate” for the .45 ACP.
I have owned a K2 45 for about 3 years, and you can customize it with a little work.
I’ve documented my work on the CZ Clone forums.
Front fibre optic sight is a modified Dawson CZ-75 sight
Rear fibre optic is a Novak from Brownells, intended for the S&W M&P with a shim under it.
Custom wood grips are available from a gentleman from Turkey who hangs out on the CZ Clone forums under the name Mustafa. Mine are Cocobolo and took about 2 months to arrive, but are lovely.
A stronger recoil spring helps and is a Wolff 18 lb. spring intended for the EAA Witness large frames
My slide stop broke, but I just used a spare one from a CZ-P06, and it works perfectly.
It is a remarkably accurate handgun.
Cool gun, nicely written.
Your lamenting over losing the competition implies that you could have won with a different pistol which begs the question – why didn’t you bring a different pistol or would it have actually mattered?
My $1600 production race gun in my hands gets beaten by $700 glocks in other hands… I don’t think the problem is what’s between your hands!
Actually, I’m almost certain I could have gotten a perfect 300 if I brought a DAO wheelgun instead of the GLOCK. There’s something magical about a good, well-fit revovler that puts me in a very deliberate state of mind.
I didn’t commit to a revolver because I imagined the firing pin might break a’ la Miculek. Ironically, the G19’s firing pin gave out the week before the class thanks to some soft primers and that didn’t stop me from fixing it in time.
Oi. Better luck next time, I guess. What’s your racegun?
Now that’s the kind of detail I want from a gun review! Well done, Mr. Zimmerman. Well done.
Meh. You can get a used Glock 21 or a new XD45 for 400.00 bucks, plenty of factory support and accessories, and a track record. Not gonna jump on the Turkey train anytime soon.
The SAR K2 45 is a great gun at a great price. I’ve had mine about six months and it’s been perfect so far. A friend of mine has a CZ97B and the SAR beat it in every way. My sights were dead on center out of the box. I got two extra mags for $50. My hands aren’t that big, but they seem to fit any CZ type of grip without any problem. Every gun I’ve shot that was made in Turkey has been a winner so far, and the K2 is at the top of that pile. My Canik TP9v2 is another great gun.
I’ve had my K2/45 for over two years. Excellent gun. You can change out the front sight with a CZ front sight. You’ll need to hand fit it in. With the adjustable rear you have choices on front sight height.
Tillander gun grips for grips.
Every picture I have seen online with a back view of a SAR K2-45 showed the rear sight not level on top of the slide but tilted slightly to the left. Some were adjusted to the extreme right. If any owners have been able to level the rear sight in such a case, it would be good to know.
On a whim I purchased a sar k 2 and love it shoots great I don’t recommend hollow points but puts anything else down range with great accuracy .Messing around found out sight do glow in the the dark go figure .Can’t beat it for the price and feel ,highly recommend if you can find them
Bullseye holster for 40.00 $ at gun show in VA made to fit the K2 on the spot
After shooting a friend’s K2 I was sold. I lucked into one while searching the net for (are you ready for this) $289.99 + 20 shipping. Whomever the internet merchant was. I forgot the name was clearing out low end guns and gearing his website toward high priced shotguns and antiques.
To avoid the new gun guilt especially with the ol’lady demanding a new SUV and a long list of other necessities. I sold my FNP 45 which I never really liked to cover the cost. I pocketed about 100 cash even after springing for a couple spare mags from CDNN.
My K2 currently loaded with 14+1 Winchester SilverTips now resides in my headboard. My previous bed partner a well worn but reliable 1980’s Taurus 92 now sits in the glove compartment of my F-150.
Turk firearm quality has caught up with the Italians. I know they’re stealing other European designs but there is no honor among cheapskates like me. The K2 is my 5th Turk gun purchase. With one exception, a hang firing Canik POS. They are all top quality. Despite what you might be thinking. I’m not a Sandy and Allah had nothing to do with it.
Nice review. Thanks
Out of the Box, my Sar shot with deadly accuracy at the range even with me being a novice shooter! $369.00, nice looking, sturdily built, recoil is literally half that of my friends 40 cal. S&W, 500 plus rounds without so much as a hiccup… I do have large hands but still believe that anyone with even medium size hands could handle this firearm with relative ease… Hands down,this is by far the best purchase I have ever made for $369.00… My friend let me shoot his Sar at the range one day after I was struggling getting on point with my 357 Pug Mag and at 30 feet, my first shot was dead center in the bullseye… I was sold, lol… Needless to say, my 357 hasn’t left my safe since… 😉
This is not an out the box shooter. It definitely needs to be broken in.
I bought the SAR K2 when it first hit the market here in the U.S. for $389, I believe at CDNN while looking for a low cost full size high capacity .45 I could shoot lead reloads. I bought a couple mags and have put about 800rds through it. One of my most accurate guns, next to my Canik TP9 which I attribute to the low recoil, inside rails and adjustable rear sites. Definitely one of my favorite to shoot. I prefer shooting it over my Glock 21.
Bought a stainless one 8 months ago. 400+ rds thru it so far. Slight rear sight adjustment put it dead on. Fit and finish in stainless are excellent. At least as good as my Stainless CZ75B. Own Tristar and Witness CZ clones also and this holds it’s own with all. Only my tuned CZ beats it accuracy-wise. Outstanding deal for the $$!!!
I would love to find the K2 in stainless. Was this a recent purchase?
I bought one about 2 years ago. At 62 years of age, my hands don’t appreciate a lot of recoil (the reason I sold off my XD-40 subcompact a while back). With this gun, I can shoot one handed with no problem at all. I agree that it is not a match pistol, but so what? I consider putting 14 shots inside of a foot at 7 yards in less than 15 seconds to be more than acceptable for self-defense. Besides, knowing that I have a .45 pistol in the nightstand with 2 extra magazines, containing a total of 40 rounds (didn’t want to buy another box of self-defense ammo for just 2 rounds), is a very comforting thought.
And the best part? This gun thrives on bulk .45 ammo, which makes range shooting both fun and affordable. I have not yet had a misfire in over 1K rounds.
All in all, I recommend you seriously consider looking into this pistol.You might be pleasantly surprised.
Have had a SAR K2 45 for four years with thousands of rounds through it. This is amazingly accurate and by far the favorite of all my guns and with everyone I have let shoot it. Never a problem with it except one batch of bad ammo in an off brand I never used before. I have old custom colt 45, SIGs, another SAR pistol, ruger, glocks. Nothing is better than this pistol. Buying another soon. Highly, very highly recommended.
Great review, well written, and a good common sense approach to a great pistol, the SAR K 2. I first learned of this gun when I watched a guy on YouTube shoot the K2 at empty shotgun shells hanging from strings at ten yards. His marksmanship was impressive. I liked the 14 + 1 capacity and read several reviews then purchased the K2. I liked it so much I purchased a second K2 a year later and that was a few years ago. Mostly I shoot 9mm ammo but every now and then I go back to the 45 acp. I reread this review a few weeks ago, pulled the K2 out of the safe and have burned up a few hundred rounds since then. First, it is fun to shoot, very manageable recoil, and has never given me a problem. It is extremely accurate if I do my part. The trigger is good, has a little creep, but if you want to shoot small targets, this is a great choice. I have several 45’s in the 1911 style, Sig 220 and Sig 227 and the Tanfoglio Witness in the Limited and Match editions. The SAR K2 trigger doesn’t compare to those other pistols triggers but the accuracy does and as far as comfort in shooting, the K2 is among the top. I’m not sure if this pistol is still available on the market. I would buy one used or new if I come across another one, though I don’t really need three that are just alike. Again a very comfortable gun to shoot and sticks blow apart impressively when hit by that big old 45 round, much more so than when I shoot my 9mm. Both rounds are great and I shoot a lot of both but that heavy fat bullet is fun for plinking!
Ive had my SAR k2 .45 since about a week after they made any gun news. I think it was CDNN that ran a “new gun sale” on the pistol and I paid something like $259 and shipping for mine and they came with 2 mags back then…..even from CDNN who is known for holding back mags. I managed to find additional mags and have been running the pistol quite often for over a decade with NO problems and trust me, they get more accurate the more time you spend with them. These days I use mine as a vehicle gun with two spare mags available all full as is the one in the pistol with one in the tube ready to go. Reliable beyond belief, more accurate than a service weapon needs to be and a joy to shoot. Perfect gun, too bad the Turks have to get a cut.
Turks have always lived through war and weapons, it’s part of their history, their lives.
Much is taken for granted about their weapons, they are not boutique pieces and neither are expensive brands, they are functional and reliable tools, which trust their lives.
Sarsilmaz (SAR) is authorized by NATO and supplies the Turkish armed and police forces. The description, on the SAR-USA page, of the tests applied to SAR9, surpassing most famous brands is impressive.
http://www.sarusa.com/sar9.aspx
Canik surprising with its beautiful 9mm catalog and generous package in finish and accessories, beautiful cost x benefit.
In both brands, Canik and Sarsilmaz, you acquired two weapons at the price of a Glock, taking care of your defense, leisure and sport.
Increasingly, Turkey is producing good weapons, at affordable costs and with excellent reliability.
Congratulations on the review, very good.
My thanks, I’m a fan of 1911.45 and CZ!
Thank you for such an honest review! You just reinforced my comfort level in my decision to purchase Big Bertha! I live in Washington State so having to wait 10-14 days since I-1639 closed the take it home the same day option for those of us with a concealed carry permit (insert eye roll) but really looking forward to punching holes in paper with it!
I wonder if that 14 round magazine would fit the cz97. Not sure how “clonish”, if at all, it is to the 97. Too bad the 97 came out when it did, limiting the magazine capacity to 10.
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